I Fell In Love With A Girl Who Died Before I Was Even Born

"What happened with you and Ken out there?" Namazu asked me quietly once we were outside.

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

He took a breath.

"During the fight, I thought for sure he was going to beat you when you kicked him in the face and it sprained your ankle."

He gave me a sad smile.

"Orcs are tough," he said. "They've got stone-like skin, but later, when you punched him and knocked him back, he actually looked scared."

Namazu shifted a little as he carried me.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," he began. "I've never really seen him scared."

Yeah, I can believe that.

"But then, suddenly, I saw you drop your guard. And, I knew what you were trying to do. Kind of. What were you thinking lowering your defenses when you're in a fight with an orc?"

I don't know. Love? Peace? Hippie stuff, ya dig?

"I didn't want to hurt him," I said. "I could tell that he's been hurt enough."

Namazu looked confused, but he nodded.

"Okay, I'll give you that much. Orcs don't have it easy. Especially Ken, since his dad brought a lot of dishonor on the Musashiba clan."

I had no idea about that.

"What happened?" I asked.

Namazu's watery eyes scrunched up, and he suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Ryu, it's really not for me to say, you know? But I can tell you that Ken isn't just some jerk, even if you feel like he's mistreated you."

I nodded weakly.

"Yeah, I figured he must be. Otherwise you wouldn't hang out with him."

I saw Yuki float in front of us.

"Ryu, the place Shion was talking about looks like it's up ahead."

Then from behind us, Shion confirmed.

"Yeah, that's it. Next to the storage shed. He doesn't live in the metal shack, but I hope I don't have to mention that."

Yeah. She didn't.

"What's going to happen to Ken?" I asked Namazu.

He shrugged.

"I wish I knew," he began. "Whatever happens now, that's on him. I did what I could to protect him from himself."

I heard Namazu sigh deeply, and a look of sadness washed over his wide, watery eyes.

"I know he's no friend of mine," I said. "But I still hope he's okay."

Then, Namazu turned those eyes to me.

"Even after everything he did to you?" he asked.

I thought for a moment.

I'd tried to understand him, and he threw it back in my face.

But someone had put that anger in him. That wasn't me.

"Yeah, I think so. He was right about me with the stupid book," I said. "I probably should've sucked up my pride and just talked to him like he was a person and not a problem."

Namazu shrugged a bit.

"It's big of you to say so."

"Yeah, but he still told me that getting a book in the first place was the whitest thing I could've done," I said. "He probably wasn't wrong. At the time, though, it just seemed easier than talking to him."

The kappa seemed to consider this.

"Ryu," he said patiently. "Did you do what you thought was the right thing to do? If so, then you don't owe anyone an explanation."

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Namazu brought me to Obie's lodge. A two-story stone house partially built into the wall surrounding Crescent Moon Academy.

A functional, but plain-looking porch sat on the front, complete with a couple of lawn chairs that wouldn't have looked out of place in West Virginia. There was even a firepit, and what looked like archery targets beside a ramshackle shed.

Before Namazu could step onto the porch, Shion called out from behind us.

"Hey," she yelled. "Thanks, Namazu! Set Ryu on the porch. You've carried him far enough."

He turned around but he didn't set me down.

"Are you sure? I doubt he can walk to the door."

Shion caught up to us.

"Oh, I know he's in no condition to walk to the door," Shion said. "But, Namazu, you simply can't walk to the door. Capisce?"

Namazu suddenly looked concerned.

"Is this place dangerous? I'm sworn to protect Ryu," he said.

Shion drew a breath and sighed, rolling her eyes.

"No," she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Not exactly, but I'm trying to save the both of us a world of trouble. So, if you could just leave Ryu on the porch with me, I'll make sure he's taken care of."

Namazu gave me a look.

"It's okay," I said. "I trust her."

He looked at Shion, and she actually smiled.

"I'll take good care of him," she said.

That's a good girl.

Namazu sat me down finally and stood back.

"After all, he's my dinner," she said.

Damn you, Shion.

Of course she said that. At this point, if she told me I was a garnish, I'd probably just nod and ask if she had any dipping sauce.

Namazu gave me one last worried glance before heading back to the school.

I looked at Shion from where I was seated on the porch as Yuki floated to my side.

Shion just smiled.

But I could see the tips of her fangs.

Yuki floated between me and Shion as the vampire knocked on the lodge door.

A moment later, a panel in the front slid open to darkness.

"Gracious," I heard Yuki whisper. "This place reminds me of a Batman villain's hideout."

I grew tense at Yuki's comment and tried to listen to what Shion was saying.

"You know you can help him," Shion said to whoever stood behind the door.

"Can is doing a lot of heavy lifting," the figure said. "You're implying that we should. I'm not a doctor. Take 'im to the school nurse."

Shion pointed at me.

"They're going to want to put him in a splint or a stupid boot. We've got a date at Dick's tomorrow!"

There was some commotion behind the door.

Shion stood there, impatiently tapping her boot on the porch.

A second later she leaned towards the open slot.

"And did I mention he's a paying customer! I'm not asking you guys to let me see Speed Nuts for free after all."

Yuki gave me a look.

"Speed Nuts?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"This place is cursed," I whispered to her. "Nothing makes sense, but everyone just pretends that it does. It's a nightmare with no waking up."

Whatever Shion was talking about, I just hoped she hurried up. My ankle was starting to throb.

Finally, a different voice came from behind the door.

"Shion? That you?" the voice asked.

Shion smiled.

"Arclose?" she asked. "Finally, someone with some sense. Tell Nightmage to go to hell and open the damn door."

I heard someone, whoever Arclose was, laugh, but a moment later, the front door opened.

"Took you long enough," Shion said and walked in.

I turned towards Yuki.

"Do you think they're just going to leave you out here?" she asked.

A second later, before I could answer, three guys who looked like college drop-outs stepped onto the porch and headed in my direction.

"There's the guy Shion told us about," said the one in front. "Let's finish the job."

I tensed. Yuki floated protectively in front of me.

Then the guy with the goatee bent down and said, "Kidding, amigo. We're the welcome committee."

A moment later, they put me down gently on a large, ugly, overstuffed couch in the living room.

It was green with purple plaid stripes, and I imagine the only reason they hadn't gotten rid of the cursed thing years ago was because it was literally one of the softest sofas I've ever been on.

It smelled like a Dave Matthews concert, and the ashtray on the coffee table in front of me was filled with at least a dozen joints.

"Oh man," said the one with the goatee. "Dude, you should've seen your face! Like, no offense or anything, but… totally classic!"

Shion spoke up from the back.

"You bustin' my friend's balls?" she asked.

I blinked, heart still racing like I was about to be sacrificed to some off-brand Scooby-Doo cult.

The room went just a little quieter. Not tense. Just... respectful.

The blond one wearing sunglasses indoors snorted a laugh after a second.

"Well, Arclose, she's your apprentice," he said.

Arclose rolled his eyes.

"Knock it off, Nightmage! She is not! Look, she is a vampire, okay. And I don't know about you, but I want a vampire on my side in a fight, not against me."

Shion, smug grin on her face, sauntered towards me where I sat propped up on the couch.

"She's also in the same room and can hear everything you're saying," she said.

She sat down beside me and put her hand on my knee.

"Hello, darling," she said with a smirk.

The one with the purple bandana spoke up at last. He had a thick Scottish accent.

"Ey, look at tha," he said. "They're in luv."

Shion turned so quickly and gave him a look that I thought for sure her head would snap from whiplash.

But the guy just shrugged.

"Proves it," he said.

"Edin," Arclose snapped. "Knock it off."

Edin scratched a scruffy beard and then leaned against the wall.

"Sorry," Arclose said, stepping forward. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Arclose. That's Nightmage, and Edin's the guy who swears you're in love."

Edin grinned earnestly.

"Just sayin' wha' I saw."

I looked at the three of them.

Yuki floated closer, and her gaze softened for just a second. "You okay?" she asked, quieter than usual.

I shrugged.

"You know. Just another normal night with a vampire, some stoners, and a sprained ankle."

"Well," she said. "At least you're not boring."

Then Shion didn't help by sitting beside me and pulling me into her uncomfortable, stiff body as I reclined on the couch.

"What do you guys do?" I asked.

Arclose grinned.

"From the looks of things, not cleaning," Yuki said.

"We're a band," Arclose said. "Speed Nuts and the Automotive Studs, at your service."

"That's not a band; that's a warning," Yuki said dryly.